Hangar complex continues growth despite Covid-19 setbacks

WATSONVILLE—It has been almost three years since Beer Mule, a taproom offering an extensive list of brews and food offerings, opened its doors inside of a restored WWII-era building at the Watsonville Municipal Airport.

That moment marked the birth of the Watsonville Hangar business complex, a community hub that continues to expand as more businesses have made the historic location home. Zameen at the Hangar, Mr. Z’s Crepes and Teas, Ritual Ride Cycle Studio, Honeylux Coffee and Aloha Hola Tacos have all moved into the strip of shops.

Kevin Dueck, who owns the complex with brother Brain Dueck through their property management service EKB Partners, says that so far, it has done well. That success has come despite the fact that most opened either during the pandemic or in the months before Covid-19 landed in Santa Cruz County.

“The vision was to create a spot in Watsonville that people could go to with friends and family to eat, have fun and hang out,” he said. “And we’re shaping up into that. How it’s filling out is definitely fitting into that original vision.”

Dueck says that business owners have reported that their shops have been quite busy, with plenty of return customers.

“This is a very good sign,” he said. “The center keeps growing, and people keep going and giving business to all these places.”

Dueck said that business at Honeylux Coffee has in particular been booming lately. The specialty coffee shop, owned by the young husband-wife team of Ashley Malone and Travis Nelson, has been gaining new customers almost daily. 

“They are so great to work with, and their shop looks wonderful,” Dueck said. “It was challenging for them, opening during Covid, but they got through it and things are really picking up.”

But despite the center’s overall popularity and success, one business, in particular, has an uncertain future—mostly due to isolated challenges from the pandemic. 

Almost a year ago Aloha Hola Tacos, a fusion eatery offering an extensive menu of Hawaiian-style tacos and other fares, opened in one of the property’s container storefronts. The restaurant serves nachos, salads, poke, sliders and more, and has racked up a slew of positive reviews online.

But owners Cassie Ackerman and Jill Thorp are facing the closure of the business in early February. They have been filling in for missing staff, while also re-building two other businesses that they own in Los Gatos that similarly suffered during the pandemic.

“When we started this project four years ago Covid did not exist,” Ackerman said via text message. “So [our] whole concept has been altered quite a bit.”

Aloha Hola’s situation is not uncommon. The pandemic has seen staffing shortages hit the foodservice and retail industries hardest, and businesses have had to adapt to new ways of operating with limited labor and resources.

Ackerman said that she and Thorp met this week and decided that they will close on Feb. 6, just shy of their one-year business anniversary. They are not yet certain if the closure is permanent or temporary, or if they will decide to sell the business to a new owner. 

“But at the moment, with Covid and the staffing issues we face daily, we cannot provide the best service and experience for our customers, which is very important to us,” Ackerman said.

For now, the rest of the Watsonville Hangar complex remains stable. Places like Beer Mule welcome large crowds on weekday evenings and weekends. And with the cycling studio and coffee shop in full swing, customers are finding their way there in the mornings, too.

Dueck added that if Ackerman and Thorp do decide to sell Aloha Hola Tacos, they expect a good deal of interest from the community.

“Our phones will most likely be ringing off the hook for a chance to move in,” he said. “We get a lot of calls already about this space. People love it.”

The Hangar also has two additional container spaces left to fill. One of them includes two full containers situated in an “L” shape; the other includes a single container. 

Dueck said that he and his brother are currently in talks with a possible business owner about bringing in a “plant-based retail business” to one of these two locations.

“We hope that we can bring in a retail option to round things out,” he said. “Give people a full shopping experience.”